The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may or may not constitute prior art.
Dual clutch transmissions are a relatively recent addition to the stable of motor vehicle transmissions which previously included manual, continuously variable and automatic transmissions. Dual clutch transmissions or DCT's as they are now commonly known, combine good fuel economy with rapidly executed shifts. From a performance standpoint, therefore, they closely duplicate the feel and operation of a conventional mechanical transmission. Additionally, they may be configured to operate as an essentially automatic or manual transmission and thus exhibit exceptional versatility.
Structurally, dual clutch transmissions typically include an input shaft which drives a pair of mutually exclusively engaged input clutches. The input clutches drive a pair of countershafts which each include a plurality of gears freely rotatably disposed on the countershafts and associated synchronizer clutches. The pluralities of gears are in constant mesh with gears secured to an output shaft. Activation of a synchronizer clutch synchronizes and couples a selected gear to its countershaft. Then, the input clutch associated with that countershaft is engaged to transmit torque from the input shaft to the output shaft. Because clutches, gears and synchronizers are disposed or stacked along the countershafts, the axial length of dual clutch transmissions can create packaging issues, particularly in smaller vehicles.